Sheet-metal casket.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

J. MAXWELL. SHEET METAL GASKET.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1905.

W1 TNEssES IVEJWTQH UNITEDI sTATEs PATENT OFFOE.

:Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed February 6, 1905. Serial No. 244,398.

To all whom, if may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN MAXWELL, of Oneida, in the county of Madison,in the State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements inSheet-Metal Oaskets, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet-metal caskets, andrefers more particularly to the means for assembling' the bottom, sides,and ends together to form a rigid structure the parts of which may bemanufactured, sold, and transported in a knockdown position to beassembled by the purchaser.

My object is to produce a sheet-metal casket which may be manufactured,stored, and shipped in sections and readily assembled to form a strong,durable, and practically watertight case.

The main object, however, is to assemble the bottom, sides, and endswithout rivets or bolts and without in any way perforating the saidparts.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View, partly broken away, ofmy improved sheet-metal casket. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transversesectional view through one corner of the casket, taken on line 2 2,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents the inverted bottom, one side, and one end ofthe casket in position about to be assembled. Fig. t is a perspectiveview of one of the detached corner clamps or plates.

The casket comprises,essentially,a bottom 1, sides 2, ends 3, and a topor lid 4, all of which parts are cut and assembled in the mannerhereinafter described to form a substantially rectangular case of anydesired dimensions.

The sides and end edges of the bottom 1 are preferably folded or bentunder the bottom to form side and end interlocking lianges 5 and 6,which form open-sided grooves to receive similar flanges upon the loweredges of the sides and ends of the case, the open sides of oppositegrooves facing' each other. The bottom edges and sides 2 and 3 are bentor folded inwardly to form hook-shaped flanges 5/ and 6', which areinterlocked, respectively, with the flanges 5 and 6 of the correspondingsides of the bottom 1, it being understood that the hook-shape flanges5' and 6 are also left more or less open, as shown in Fig. 3, when thesides and ends are first formed, so as to permit them to be easilyinterlocked with their respective flanges 5 and 6, and after they are sointerlocked they are firmly pressed together, so as to form apractically water-tight joint and also serve to rigidly secure the sidesand ends to the bottom. lt may be further explained that in assemblingthe parts of my improved casket'each side piece, as 2, is tilted to suchan angle that its hook-shape liange 5 may be hooked under and upon thefree edge of its corresponding liange 5, and that each end piece 3 istilted in like manner to such position that its flange 6 may be hookedunder and upon the free edge of its flange 6, the interlocked portionsof the sides and ends being then forced outwardly and are then pressedflatwise upon the lower and upper faces of the marginal flanges of thebottom 1, as previously described. Y

The upright edges of the sides 2 are bent or folded outwardly andbackwardly toward each other to form L-shape flanges 7, while theaoljacent upright edges of the ends 8 are also bent outwardly andbackwardly toward each other to form L-shape flanges 8. It is now seenthat by bending or folding the upright edges of the sides and ends inthe manner described the flanges 7 and 8 form vertical grooves havingopen sides facing each other, and the lower end of each groove is alsoopen for receivinga corner-plate 9, Figs. 1, 2, and 1.

The upper edge of each side 2 is bent outwardly to form a ledge 10,having its central longitudinal portion depressed to form a longitudinalgroove 11, extending substantially the full length of the side. Theupper edge of each end piece 3 is also bent outwardly and laterally toform a longitudinal flange 12, the central longitudinal portion of whichis depressed for forming a longitudinal groove 13, which is also ofsubstantially the full Width of the end 3.

The L-shape flanges 7 and 8 of the sides and ends 2 and 3 extend from apoint just above their flanges 5' and 6 to the under side of theirrespective flanges 12, so as to permit said flanges 7 and 8 to be foldedor bent outwardly and backwardly .under the grooved flanges 10 and 12without breaking the continuity of said fianges 10 and 12, which extendfrom end to end of their respective sides or ends.

It is now apparent that a rectangular boxlike structure is formed havingat each of its corners a pair of L-shape flanges and a pair of IOO IIO

vertical g'rooves, each of which is open at one side and at the bottom,but are closed at the top by the flanges 1f) and 12.

Each corner is provided with an angular corner-plate 9, the sides ofwhich are disposed at right angles to each other and their free uprightedges are folded inwardly and backwardly toward each other for formingL-shape flanges 14 and vertical grooves 15, which are open at the topand at their inner sides; but the bottoms are closed by wings orportions 16, which are left on the lower end of the co1'- ner-plate andare folded or bent inwardly to cover the lower open end of theang'le-plate. These wings 16 not only close the lower open end of thecorner-plate, but also close the lower end of the open joint between theadjacent edges of the sides and ends 2 and 3 and form abutments whichengage the under side of the flanges 5 and 6.

Each corner-plate 9 is assembled by bringing' the upper edges of itsgroove 15 into registration with the lower ends of the free edges oftheadjacent flang'es 7 and 8 of the sides and ends 2 and 3, whereupon thecorner-piece is moved upwardly into sliding' interlocking engagementwith the flanges 7 and 8 until the abutments 16 strike the lower facesof the flanges 5 and 6, said corner-pieces being of sufficient height sothat when the abutments 16 are engaged in the manner described with theflanges 5 and 6/ their upper ends lie in close proximity to the lowerfaces of' the flanges 10 and l2. After the corner-pieces 9 have beenthus assembled upon the adjacent corner-flanges 7 and 8 the L-shapeflanges 14, which embrace thc adjacent flang'es 7 and 8, are fimlypressed together with sufficient force to hold the corner-pieces fromaccidental displacement downwardly when thc casket stan ds in an uprightposition.

lf necessary, the joints formed by the union of the sides and ends withthe bottom and also the joints formed by the uniting' of thecorner-pieces 9 with the sides and ends may be soldered or closed byanysuitable waterproof sealing material. (Not shown.)

The object of the grooves 11 and 13 in the top edges of the sides 2 andends 3 is to receive a packing 20, upon which is seated a lid 4, thelatter being clamped to the case by suitable fastening means, as 21,which forms the subject-matter of my pending application, Serial No.241,154, filed January 14, 1905.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A sheet-metal casket comprising' bottom, side and end'- pieces, thebottom having inturned flanges extending along its sides and ends, andthe side and end pieces each having flanges along their lower, upper andend edges, the flanges on the lower edges of the sides and endsinterlocking with those on the bottom piece, and the flanges on theupper edges of said side and end pieces projected-outwardly, and angleplates provided with inturned flanges interlocked by a vertical slidingmovement from the bottom upward with the flanges at the junction of theside and end pieces, said angle-plates terminating directly under theupper flanges of the sides and ends and having their lower ends formedwith inturned wings engaging the lower edges ofI said side and endpieces and extending under the bottom piece.

2. A burial-case comprising bottom, side, end and corner pieces of sheetmetal having' interlocking flanges at their junction one with another,the flanges of the corner-pieces being' interlocked with those at thejunctions of side and end pieces by a vertical sliding movement from thebottom upward, and additional flanges projecting outwardly from theupper edges of the side and end pieces and overhanging the upper ends ofthe corner-pieces.

3. A burial-case comprising' bottom, side, end and corner pieces ofsheet metal having' interlocking flanges at their junction one with theother, the flanges of the corner-pieces being interlocked with those atthe junctions ofl side and end pieces by a vertical sliding movementfrom the bottom upward, and provided with wings extending under thebottom piece to cover the joints at their corners of the bottom with theside and end pieces, and also serving to limit the upward movement ofthe corner-plates.

In witness whereof .l have hereunto set my hand this 1st day ofFebruary, 1905.

JOHN MAXl/VELL. lVitnesses:

F. H. AUBREY, F. C. BODEN.

